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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29221248">Riding the Sandstorm</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarthChocolate/pseuds/DarthChocolate'>DarthChocolate</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Legends - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Gen, some violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 07:40:38</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>9,969</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29221248</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarthChocolate/pseuds/DarthChocolate</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>As we wait for the Kenobi series to start, this is my take on how the series could be handled. It's set on Tatooine after episode three. Hope you enjoy it :)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Riding the Sandstorm</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>                Tatooine was supposed to be the ideal place to hide Luke at. The ideal place for anyone to hide. It had been scarcely populated and mostly barren. It had nothing to offer and was in the Outer Rim far from everything. Obi-wan Kenobi mistakenly thought it would be safe here. He was prepared for the primitive Tusken Raiders and the nasty squills. He knew about the underworld presences on the planet. Obi-wan figured it was restricted to the main cities. He had been very wrong. Tatooine may have had a lacked vegetation, but it made up for in a large crop of criminals.</p><p>                After Obi-wan had landed his ship there, the little-known city of Bestine quickly turned into the capitol of the Empire presence on Tatooine. Unlike Mos Espa and Mos Eisley, Imperial officers weren’t secretly under some crime lord’s payroll. Unfortunately, Obi-wan lived near this city. There was no way that he would go there. It would be too dangerous. The other nearby towns were Anchorhead and Wayfar. Anchorhead was the choice of most moisture farmers. The farmers were a close-knit group, who didn’t like or welcome outsiders. They gave him the cold shoulder ironically enough. Wayfar had been friendlier and more eager for trade. Of course, the little town was an outlet for Jabba’s palace. Jabba the Hutt’s men guarded the streets. Every faction seemed to lay claim to some part of this dust planet. Trade meant survival on Tatooine. He had to trade safely.</p><p>                In time, he hoped Anchorhead would buy and sell with him. Four months passed, nothing got better. Beru Lars finally took pity on him. “You have to prove that you’re one of us.” Obi-wan came to realize that meant joining a farmer’s cause. They had several causes or more precisely grudges. Some farmers were against bandits, slavers, Tusken Raiders, or the Hutts. Half of the farmers were Imperial supporters. They believed the Empire was here to regain order. The other half wanted no one ordering them around.</p><p>                He could fault the ones who wanted to believe the Empire especially in such a lawless planet. Obi-wan experienced this for the first time in Wayfar. On Coruscant, deathsticks were hidden in some dark back alley. In Wayfar, the merchant openly sold them on the public streets. You usually passed by a few high people, while heading to a tavern.  In addition, it wasn’t unusual for a person to step over a corpse on the street, which a droid hadn’t cleaned up yet. Obi-wan entered a better-looking cantina. Patrons drank, listened to live music, and watched dancers. They could also purchase a slave for their entertainment or gamble in the backroom. Several gamblers ended up becoming slaves. He saw a man being taken away for the slave market during his first trip. Everyone sized him up the moment that he came into the city. They wanted to determine whether he was a threat or not. Some did it to know avoid him or not, while others were seeking a challenger to fight. Though Obi-wan endeavored to keep a low profile and stay away from fighting. He was forced into two brawls on the same day. The second opponent was unconscious at his feet as he drank his Ruby Biel. Two Hutt guards complained at the opposite side if the bar from him. “Jabba is livid. Another caravan got hit by Tusken Raiders. He keeps acting like it isn’t supposed to happen. For crying out loud, they’re called raiders. Aren’t they?”</p><p>                “Yeah, but they’ve all been successful, more frequent and deadlier. I wonder what has them all riled up?”</p><p>                “Doesn’t matter. We just need to stay away from that assignment. I heard even if you live, Jabba throws you to his rancor for failing to protect his merchandise.”</p><p>                Obi-wan finished his drink, brought his supplies, and rode his swoop back home. He had needed those supplies. His home got ransacked, while he was gone. Thankfully, the thieves didn’t find his money or the extra lightsaber. Though, pretty much everything else was stolen. Normally, he would take matters into his own hands. Things were different now. He was a Jedi in hiding. He needed to behave like a normal citizen. He went to tell the Citizens’ Militia about it.</p><p>                “We’re sorry to hear that you got robbed,” the captain told him. “We’ll investigate the matter thoroughly.”</p><p>                The man didn’t mean a singular word of it. Obi-wan could sense this and most of Anchorhead silently jeering at him. Now, he still wasn’t welcome, and they regarded him as bantha fodder. It was for the best. He shouldn’t be close to any of them. It was too dangerous. He was supposed to be a hermit. He could shrug off the lost of his possessions. The town’s refusal to buy his produce would make life difficult. His money was going to run out sooner or later. The Force presented him with a different solution.</p><p>                He knew he shouldn’t investigate it, but he had stumbled upon the Jawa Sandcrawler by accident. They did have some of his things though not all of it nor did they steal it from his house. Someone else sold it to the Jawas. He looked just a little deeper and discovered that person who stole it to the Jawas had also been sold the stuff too. This didn’t frustrate him the most. Obi-wan was a powerful Jedi master, who sat on the Jedi Council. Yet, he never detected any fiendish activities. How could this happen? His home was robbed again.</p><p>                Even without mentioning it, all of Anchorhead knew about his misfortune. Obi-wan pulled out some truguts to buy a part. The merchant charged him more. “You told him five truguts,” Obi-wan pointed out. “Why are you charging me fifteen?”</p><p>                The merchant shook his head. “He’s a member of the Settlers’ Union, and you’re not.”</p><p>                “How does one become a member?”</p><p>                “Well, you need to have a family member, who is one.”</p><p>                Obi-wan tried not to focus on the merchant’s smug grin as he searched for another vendor. Wayfar didn’t have the part. It was doubtful that part would magically appear now. His only chance was Anchorhead, which seemed hopeless.</p><p>                A large crowd gathered in the middle of town. Everyone was in an uproar. Tusken Raiders had assaulted four moisture farms. They wrecked equipment and injured several people. A prominent town leader Orrin Gault showed his large gash on his arm to the crowd. “The Tusken Raiders are a menace to our community. The beasts must be taken down by any means necessary!”</p><p>                The sentiment was detestable to Obi-wan. However, Gault’s promoting Imperial aid was a problem. The stronger presence that the Empire had on Tatooine would mean a greater possibility of finding him and Luke. He couldn’t fail Luke. He had to protect the boy. Yet, getting involve would be risky too. This could all be mere complaints. They were just bored farmers.</p><p>                A cold chill ran down his spine. There was a dark presence nearby. The town alarmed rang as shoots were fired. Everyone ran for cover. Obi-wan helped an old woman get inside a shop. He deliberated if he should assist in the fighting or not. There had been a clear battle cry of the Tusken Raiders. A dark Force user was leading the raiders. Obi-wan knew he would have to confront this person. He was about to head out, when the raiders suddenly retreated. The militia felt that they had scared the Tuskens away. Obi-wan surveyed the damage. The raiders weren’t attacking yet. This had been a test of the city defensives. The real attack would come. It would destroy the city unless he stopped it.</p><p>                He went to follow the trail. No one else did. The reason became obvious rather fast as the wind buried it. If not for his compass, he would be hopeless lost. There weren’t any Tusken around. He came across Spice Runners. He took out his binoculars. One of the Runners had his small dented pot.</p><p>                At least, one mystery was solved. He had found a small trace of ryll in his home. Possibly exposure wasn’t worth retrieving a few items back. The problem of being robbed would stop, once he was living in a different spot hopefully. For now, he had to discover the identity of this power Force user. Records on Tusken Raider attacks were easy to get. Mos Zabu’s racetrack had been shot at by Tusken recently. Mos Elrey gets constant assaults near the border of Jundland Waste. Mos Doba got attacked last week. All of these seemed very random. However, one set of attacks were highly organized. The Hutt guards were right. All the canyons and valleys near Jabba’s palace had planned attacks. The large caravans had been the only targets. Lone riders commuting from the palace were left untouched. Obi-wan concluded the mastermind had been the same one who did the attacks on the moisture farms.</p><p>                He monitored the next Hutt caravan route. Jabba had already placed hunters at the best ambush spots. They lied in wait for Tusken Raiders that never showed up. The hunters complained to one another in frustration as they departed. Obi-wan decided to trail the caravan anyway. He was glad that he did. It was flat open terrain. The caravan had been lax despite seeing a few Tuskens on the horizon. They were so far away. Little did the caravan know that a small team of Tuskens had literally waited in a concealed hole for the caravan to fly over. They hit the underbelly and took down the caravan. It was a brilliant plan. The first three vessels had been targeted in order to halt the progression. The other Tuskens swooped in and surrounded the Hutt men. They were finished off quickly.</p><p>                The caravan had been carrying food such as avian eggs, Klatooine paddy frogs, chicken legs, kebroot, jogan fruit, and shuura. The raiders were ecstatic to receive such loot except for the very familiar leader. He was more concerned with looking through a datapad. Was he plotting for his next attack? Obi-wan knew that he comprehended both Huttese and Basic.</p><p>                The Tusken leader was none other than Jedi Master A’Sharad Hett. His father was a Jedi knight and his mother had been a Tusken. He grew up in a Tusken village before being found by Ki-Adi-Mundi. He was like Anakin in growing up partly outside of temple. While Anakin could be hot with anger, A’Sharad was cold distant though not dark side cold. Anakin had met him twice. He tolerated A’Sharad in the beginning and then grew to distain him. Obi-wan had no idea what to expect as he approached the Tusken leader.</p><p>                The raiders aimed their weapons at him. A’Sharad rose his arm up and his men stood down. “An unusual choice for you to escape to,” A’Sharad tossed the datapad aside.</p><p>                “It should have been the perfect place to lay low,” Obi-wan was leery. “If you hadn’t called attention by engaging in battle with both the Hutts and farmers.”</p><p>                “Farmers?” A’Sharad gestured to his men. They carried the loot over to their banthas. “Fighting is the only way to survive here. I thought Anakin would have told you this.”</p><p>                “You’re behaving like a robber and not a Jedi. You need to call off all these attacks.”</p><p>                “Aren’t you the one who warned everyone that the Jedi Order is no more? I’m protecting my people and taking back what’s mine.”</p><p>                “I won’t let you expose yourself and attack innocent people.” Obi-wan activated his lightsaber. They were all alone, so it was safe to do. A’Sharad activated his two lightsabers. The battle was heated until the sandstorm blew in. Obi-wan inhaled the sand. It burned his throat and lungs. He couldn’t breathe. A’Sharad hit him in the chest. Obi-wan spit up the sand and dropped to his knees. He thought A’Sharad was going to kill him. Instead, A’Sharad shoved a rebreather into his mouth. The storm was over in a few minutes. Obi-wan was still slightly gasping for air, “you saved me?”</p><p>                “No, I just didn’t kill you,” A’Sharad corrected him. He tossed a flask at Obi-wan. “There is no point in killing you. You don’t belong here. You should fly to a different planet because you aren’t going to make it in desert.” He walked to his bantha and rode away.</p><p>                Obi-wan headed slowly to his swoop. He turned the handle. The engine was flooded with sand. The merchant had ripped him off with a bad swoop. It was going to be a very long walk. He took a sip from the flask. It was water. That was the first thing which had gone in his favor. He hoped this meant things would look up for him or wouldn’t get any worse.</p><p>                They aren’t going well for a dewback herder. She and her two daughters got captured by Desert Demons. The groups crimes included stealing, raping, cannibalism, torturing and murder. Obi-wan snuck over to one of the Desert Demons. He couldn’t use his lightsaber. However, Jedi were trained in hand to hand combat. He knocked the fiend down. “That’s not the proper way to treat a lady.” They opened fire on him. They were lousy shots. Jedi had also been trained in marksmanship. He swiped the balster and vanquished them all. The young girls ran to their mother. He pulled out a bacta patch for her, “are you ok?”</p><p>                “Yes, I’m fine. Keep it,” she shook her hands. “I don’t want to waste your bacta. Thank you for saving us. I’m Annie Calwell and these are my daughters.”</p><p>                “I’m Ob- Old Ben Kenobi.”</p><p>                “Old?”</p><p>                “Yeah, uh, my brother calls me that.”</p><p>                “Younger brother?” Obi-wan grinned at her. She laughed, “they’re famous for being annoying most times.”</p><p>                She had a nice smile. It wasn’t beautiful like Satine’s, but it was pretty. He promptly ended this line of thinking. “What are you doing out here alone? It’s dangerous.”</p><p>                “All of Tatooine is,” she retrieved her blaster. “My boyfriend used to come with us to graze the dewbacks out here. Since I discovered what a huge liar he is, that’s changed.”</p><p>                “Sleemo,” her one daughter muttered under her breath.</p><p>                “Anyway, would you please come with us back to town?” Annie invited him. “We would love the protection and company.” He was visible anxious. She guessed, “you can bring your ride alongside our mounts. Don’t worry. Our dewbacks are fast. They’re not slow eopies.”</p><p>                “My swoop bike is broken.” Obi-wan stared at his feet. “The sandstorm killed the engine.”</p><p>                “Oh, you’re the foreigner, who arrived a few weeks ago.”</p><p>                “Guilty.”</p><p>                “I’m sorry. Most everyone takes advantage of the new guy. Here you can ride Stomper.” She handed him the reins to one of her dewbacks.</p><p>                “Thanks,” he climbed up Stomper.</p><p>                “Where are you from?” Annie led the group.</p><p>                “Coruscant,” Obi-wan cringed internally at his slip of the tongue.</p><p>                “Let me guess, you moved here t escape the money loving corruption of the capitol to settle down to a quiet peaceful farm life?”</p><p>                “Something like that,” he chuckled.</p><p>                “That makes it worse,” she frowned. “It’s a moisture farmers’ tradition to haze and forcefully motivate newcomers to leave. They’re supposed to do it to keep the scum away. Innocent people like you usually get ruined by it the most.”</p><p>                “I’m not that naïve.”</p><p>                “Don’t beat yourself up. We all get deceived. They’ve been doing this, I don’t know, for centuries. The town officials in Anchorhead offer you a great land without dues. Of course, there are no due. You’re in Dune Stalker territory.”</p><p>                “Dune Stalker?”</p><p>                “They’re pretty harmless thugs. Well, they’re part thug and part information brokers. They stalk you a little. Then, they inform an interested party about you for a small fee.”</p><p>                “Like Spice Runner?”</p><p>                “Yup, it’s not bad enough that the town makes you pay more for goods and pays less for your stuff. They have to put you in a position to be literally robbed. All because your great great grandfather didn’t settle on Tatooine. He was too smart for that.”</p><p>                “You live in Anchorhead?” Obi-wan asked as they neared the town.</p><p>                “For now,” Annie glared at Orrin Gault as he flew passed them on his landspeeder.</p><p>                Obi-wan noticed her grimace, “that’s the sleemo?”</p><p>                “In the flesh,” she scowled. Her voice lowered, “he lied about the Tusken attacks.”</p><p>                “Why do you say that?”</p><p>                “Examine his broken equipment. You’ll see the truth for yourself.” Her voice perked up. “It’s getting late. Would you like to stay? We’re have some leftover worrt casserole. There is plenty.”</p><p>                “Thank you, but I should be heading back.”</p><p>                “Of course, perhaps another time.”</p><p>                “Perhaps,” Obi-wan wanted to kick himself for saying this. He shouldn’t be encouraging this woman, whom freckles were cute to him. He attempted to give her back the reins to the dewback.</p><p>                She refused, “keep him. It’s the least that I can do for you for saving our lives.”</p><p>                “Thank you. Goodbye.” He rode the dewback to the end of Gault’s property. All the wreckage had been tossed in a pile. No sign of deception so far that he could find. Annie’s feelings might be clouding her judgement. The suns were setting. The light reflected off his sensors and harvesters, and security grid in the distance. Nothing reflected from the wreckage because all the parts were rusty and worn. She was right. It wasn’t reasonable for the Tusken Raiders to target only the old equipment. Gault staged it and framed the raiders.</p><p>                The lie didn’t trouble him as much as he never suspected it. Obi-wan rode home under the moons’ light. Had the Force abandoned him? Was he crippled in fear from Order 66 that he had unconsciously stopped using the Force? His home was again robbed. He cleared his mind and went to meditate in his now empty room. He struggled to meditate.</p><p>                “There is do or do not do. There is no try. We can always use Force. The ‘try’ or uncertainly lies with us. Our fears, guilts, or doubts make the use of the Force unsteady. We need to honestly look at ourselves and discover our faults. If we don’t, we might never do at all with the Force.” Obi-wan’s old master said once.</p><p>                Everything was fine before. Tatooine should have been easy. “It was just a little backwater planet.” Obi-wan reviewed this thought. Had he prejudged the planet and its’ people? Why would he have done this? He had barely visited this planet except… Anakin. His guilt was clouding his mind. Anakin hadn’t suddenly turned to the Dark Side. He slowly followed it. Obi-wan shouldn’t have seen the signs. He should have known about that and about Palpatine. His bias blinded him. He couldn’t let his guilt cloud his judgement now. Luke’s life was at stake. He would regain his balance.</p><p>                He gathered up all his remaining possessions and wandered aimlessly in the desert. Sometimes, there would be food and shelter. Most times, there was nothing. He contended with lingering doubts that he should have stayed on Alderaan with Bail Organa. After a few days of wandering, he stumbled across a Rodian female trying to fight off a sandtusker creature which had already killed one of her two eopies. He helped her drive the beast away.</p><p>                “Try new experiences and visit new places.” The female Rodian retrieved her belongings off the dead eopie. “I need a new life motto.”</p><p>                “Don’t buy eopies.”</p><p>                “Very true, dewbacks are better. I brought the two eopies to get a calf. With no male, there is no chance of that now. I should have gotten three dewbacks or just fly on a shuttle. Whatever, I’m Kolka Zteht.”</p><p>                “Ben Kenobi.”</p><p>                “Are you a hermit?”</p><p>                “Trying to be.”</p><p>                “Come on, I’ll buy you a drink at the cantina.” She leaped onto her dewback. “We’ll swap tales of woe.” They rode to Bestine. She saw that he was weary to enter the city. “Don’t fret about the Imperials.” She opened her locked container. “They don’t care about your illegal dealings.”</p><p>                “Beautiful,” he stared at her glass statues, “even Jabba the Hutt figure looks exquisite.”</p><p>                “I thought he would buy it. Jabba did purchase my statue of Rotta. I’m going to try to sell this Jabba statue along with some other questionable figures in Bestine. No one cares about your seedy endeavors as you’re not here to steal or murder anyone in the city? Are you planning to do that?”</p><p>                “Not today.”</p><p>                “Then come on,” Kolka grabbed his arm.</p><p>                It was unnerving walking by Imperal troopers. None of them gave Obi-wan a second glance. He grew more comfortable as he entered Cheapside Cantina. “I thought there would be more troopers here.”</p><p>                “Probably depends on their shift,” she looked around for a booth. A man waved to her. They shared a booth with the Museum of Tatooine curator, Lilas Dinhint.</p><p>                Lilas was very pleased that Kolka had agreed to donate some of her pieces to the museum. He brought a round of Vasarian brandy for the both of them and gave them a small tour of museum. His motive was to have Kolka become a local artist and for Obi-wan to purchase a year membership to the museum. Kolka seemed like she was going to accept his offer. Obi-wan declined his offer. Though Obi-wan had to admit, the gallery had been lovely.</p><p>                Bestine was better than Anchorhead. The merchants were friendlier and sold items for a reasonable price. Obi-wan didn’t have to worry about thefts and bawls like Wayfar. He visited the property bureau for an abandon home. There was a perfect one near the Lar’s farm. He wished that he came here earlier. Sometimes hiding in plain sight was the best option. The city wasn’t perfect. There had been campaigning for the next mayor. Sean Trenwell, the Director of Commerce was fighting against Victor Visalis, Officer of Defense. Sean had trying to gain votes by flaunting his exaggerated profits earned for the city. His opponent Victor had promised better protection for Bestine. He cited the recent attack on the Lightwind Orphanage by Tusken Raiders.</p><p>                That was an odd target. The fledgling Imperial garrison would make more sense. Obi-wan decided to volunteer at the orphanage. The caretakers welcomed the aid. He felt good helping out and investigating. None of the orphans had been taken during the attack. Some furniture was trashed. The security and mainframe were destroyed thus the orphanage’s records were erased. It was easy to guess the real culprit. Inside the orphanage, one could see Victor’s one million credits donation was never used. There was no new supplies or resources brought for the children’ care. Victor probably never meant for the funds to be made available. The attack was a cover up for relocating the credits elsewhere. Obi-wan wondered if Gault helped Victor to stage the attack.</p><p>                Politicians’ “passions and prejudices” were hard to ignored especially with innocent ones in the crossfires. Victor’s lies caused an Imperial assault on the Tusken Raiders. Sean had been no better. He concealed the fact that children had been kidnapped during the harvest festival. No holo news reported it. There was no official investigation. Most of the families who lost their child couldn’t afford to have a bounty hunter retrieve the child for them. Though, those who could didn’t. Annie’s friend Silya Darklighter explained, “the kidnappers are Sennex Slavers. Hutts        are nasty, but they follow certain pervert rules. They don’t enslave native Tatooinians unless they’re debtors. Sennex snatch anyone or anything that they can and sell the captives offworld. Parents can’t afford to pay a bounty hunter and slave traders. They use the black-market bazaars to buy back their children if they can.”</p><p>                Obi-wan could see the angunish in parent’s eyes. Children as young as four years old were taken from Bestine and Anchorhead. The Citizens’ Militia conducted a search for the children. They were happy to have him surprisingly so was the Force. He felt the Force calm his mind and direct his steps. The first person to inquire of was a Dune Stalker.</p><p>                “I’ve never done work for them. I don’t even know where they are.” Obi-wan couldn’t understand why criminals clung to fake ignorance.</p><p>                Obi-wan sighed, “of course, you know them. You know anyone for twenty truguts.”</p><p>                “Fifty.”</p><p>                “Twenty.”</p><p>                “Fine. There isn’t much to tell. Since the Sennex got too greedy once and stole a patch of Jabba’s slaves, they’ve to stay clear of most cities. They rigged landing pads near the Jawa trading posts. A ship comes by three times a cycle.”</p><p>                “Do you know where they hang out or what route they take?”</p><p>                “No clue. If I did, I would tell Jabba. He’ll pay handsomely for the info. A lot of people are gunning for those crazies. Sennex changes their routes often. They’ll even brave Tusken territory t keep away from bounty hunters.”</p><p>                It took a few days to find the Tusken village. Maps only had a general location. Obi-wan didn’t sneak into the village. He walked right out in the open. The Tuskens fixed their weapons on him. None approached except for one rather large male, who had strong cold Force presence. It wasn’t completely tainted by the Dark side yet. This was individual Obi-wan had sensed in Anchorhead. He gripped his lightsaber.</p><p>                “Are you here for a fight?” A’Sharad called out. He was standing by hut.</p><p>                “No.” Obi-wan didn’t understand the Tuskens muttering around him. He could sense their emotions. The large male Tusken with the force begrudgingly stood down from Obi-wan. “He doesn’t like me.”</p><p>                “He has good reason to,” A’Sharad waved to Obi-wan to come. “They all do.”</p><p>                Obi-wan noticed several injured Tusken as he approached. “How badly did the Imperials ravage your people?”</p><p>                “Not as badly as they wanted to. We were able to evacuate our people.” A’Sharad entered the hut, “you didn’t come for this reason. Why are you here?”</p><p>                “Children were kidnapped by Sennex Slavers. I was hoping that you might know where they are at.”</p><p>                There was an older female Tusken and two young male Tusken in the hut. A’Sharad interpreted Obi-wan’s words to them. “We’ll aid you. It’s a great evil to steal children from parents.” One of the males stepped out of the hut. “The chieftain asks if one of the children is yours?”</p><p>                “You’re not chieftain?” Obi-wan regarded him confused.</p><p>                “After the deaths of my grandfather, father and uncle, my aunt K’Yark is chief,” A’Sharad gestured to the female Tusken. “I’m a warlord. Warlords are below chiefs.”</p><p>                There was loud shouting going on outside. A’Sharad and K’Yark rose to confront it. Obi-wan followed behind them, “what’s going on?”</p><p>                “Chief H’Raak wishes to challenge K’Yark.”</p><p>                “How many chiefs are there?”</p><p>                “Three for the three tribes visiting here.” A’Sharad watched his aunt fight and kill the other chief. “The fool should have conceded.”</p><p>                Obi-wan could still feel the anger from the large Tusken warrior directed towards him. “He wishes me dead.”</p><p>                “Yes, Hoar does,” A’Sharad confirmed as they returned to hut.</p><p>                “Why?” Obi-wan sat down.</p><p>                A young female brought food to A’Sharad. He shook his head and his hand in refusal. She gave it to his aunt instead. “An offworlder slaughtered his entire village. His wife and children were butchered. He and a few other had been spared since they were away on a Wraid hunt.”</p><p>                “Violence breeds violence. It’s the reason that I wish you to stop attacking Jabba’s men.”</p><p>                “An offworlder kill them,” A’Sharad repeated and emphasized. “Skywalker never told you?”</p><p>                “Told me what?” There was a dread in the pit of Obi-wan’s stomach.</p><p>                “The tribe had committed a Bloodrite on his mother. She was tortured for days until she died in Anakin’s arms. He killed everyone there. No one was spared. I had hoped that he would have confessed this especially to you. It doesn’t matter anymore. The sands have covered over it. Hoar still bears a strong hate. If he ever discovered, you were Anakin’s master. He would kill you. I had wanted to teach him in the ways of the Force and direct him towards the Light side. We rarely get what we desire.” There was a sadness in A’Sharad’s voice. He refused another female Tusken’s offer of food.</p><p>                “Why do you –“ Obi-wan was interrupted by a young Tusken male.</p><p>                “An observer knows where the slavers are. He will take you there.”</p><p>                “Aren’t you coming too?”</p><p>                “My place is here. May the Force be with you, Master Kenobi.”</p><p>                “May the Force be with you as well, Master Hett.” Obi-wan knew they both faced difficult challenges. This Hoar would not be an easy student even if he did agree to learn to be a Jedi. Obi-wan was thankful that Hoar wasn’t his apprentice. He would have preferred A’Sharad instead of three Tusken warriors who didn’t speak Basic.</p><p>                The three Tusken warriors did just bring him to the Sennex slavers. They were also eager to assist Obi-wan in rescuing the children. With use of the military hand gestures that Cody had taught him, Obi-wan planned an attack. The Tuskens provided a distraction, while he crept over and free the children. He didn’t approve of them killing the slavers. Yet, he couldn’t risk using a lightsaber or the Force to stop them. The remaining slavers fled. Obi-wan decided the Tusken should receive credit for rescuing the children. He had them carefully hand back the children at Anchorhead. The hope was that this would aid in better relations between Tuskens and the moisture farmers. Only time would tell.</p><p>                His position in town improved. Obi-wan thought being the unknown wanderer or a desert hermit would be the safest course. Every citizen fears them. To be viewed as just another citizen, this makes him more ambiguous. Owen Lars unknowingly helped by providing a much needed cover story for Luke’s father and for Obi-wan. Apparently, he and Anakin had worked on a spice freighter together. After fulfilling Anakin’s dying wish of bringing his son home to Tatooine, Obi-wan had decided to remain on Tatooine.</p><p>                Part of Obi-wan wished the story had been true. It was a whole lot nicer than the truth. Then again, truths can be persuaded by our own point of view. As he traveled for supplies at Bestine, he sensed a familiar presence in the Force.   </p><p>                Jedi Knight Kadrian Sey had always been levelheaded and logical. She would be a great ally. Senator Organa. This is the perfect opportunity to save her. He had discovered the Imperial were temporarily holding her here in Bestine until a stardestroyer could pick her up. Obi-wan had spied out the prison and knew the shift changes. He snuck out in the dead of night to rescue her.</p><p>                Everything seemed to go according to plan. He evaded the cameras and guards. Kadrian was being held in Bestine prison sole operational elite cell along with a prisoner frozen in carbonite. Obi-wan broke into her cell and removed her restraints. “You’re safe now.”</p><p>                “Not yet,” she thrusted her lightsaber towards his chest. Obi-wan barely dodged her deathblow.</p><p>                “I don’t understand. How could you do this?” He whipped out his saber.</p><p>                “You do understand this. The Dark side has control over the Force, the Senate and the entire Galactic government. You either be a fool and ignore the change or be reasonable and accept it.”</p><p>                “And kill your Jedi brothers and sisters!”</p><p>                Kadrian smirked, “you don’t actually believe that contradiction. Don’t become attach, but care for each other like family. You can’t do both. Master Yoda always praised my ability to let go.”</p><p>                He hadn’t considered the reason why wasn’t charging at him until he sensed the squad of troopers heading towards them. He hurled the carbonite slab at her. She evaded it easily, which was fine with Obi-wan. It was meant to blockade the door. She was a deceit fighter, but she wasn’t a master. He vanquished her quickly and cut a hole in the wall to make his escape. He ran as fast as he could away. He figured that he should avoid Bestine from now on.</p><p>                Being ruled by fear wasn’t the Jedi way. The idea was quickly dismissed. He carefully returned to the city. There were no wanted posters up. The Imperial might have wanted to handle this internally. The cantina was the best way to find out. It had a few different exits. It was near the edge of the city and near the starport. Drunk men didn’t need a mind trick. After two hours of drinking Izzy-mold, Obi-wan switched to caf. Finally, someone mentioned something about the prison.</p><p>                “Did you hear about the jailbreak? Stupid ISB hotshot accidently released a killer from ice. The moff swears that he never wants to get involved with another spook again.”</p><p>                Someone else seemed to have stolen the limelight from Obi-wan completely. He relaxed his shoulders.</p><p>                “Ben? Ben, Ben, how are you? It’s good to see you again.”</p><p>                He tensed up again. “Hi Annie. I’m good. What brings you here?”</p><p>                “My dewbacks,” she chuckled. “Please come sit with us.” She invited him to sit in a booth with her and her daughters. “I got a contract to provide Imperial scouts with dewbacks. We’re celebrating it.”</p><p>                “That’s wonderful news.” He lied. More Imperials roaming about was never good.</p><p>                “Thanks. We’re thinking of moving here. Bestine has the best education opportunities in all of Tatooine. Oh, have you found a new home yet?”</p><p>                “Yes.”</p><p>                “May we please come and visit your home?”</p><p>                “Mother,” her daughter Kallie noticed his discomfort. She teased, “his house probably looks like a bachelor boar den.”</p><p>                “I seriously doubt it’s messy. Ben doesn’t seem the type.”</p><p>                “I’m not. My brother has been the messy one with his podracing posters and parts all over his chambers.”</p><p>                Annie rubbed his hand sympathetically when she saw his sad smile. “We’re sorry for your loss. Still, I would like to give you a nice housewarming gift.”</p><p>                She gave him some Tato seeds. It was a kind gesture and a practical gift. He comtemplated where to plant the seeds as he rode home. Upon entering the house, he instantly knew he wasn’t alone. He reached for his lightsaber.</p><p>                “Still think I’m your enemy?”</p><p>                “Let’s just say I have severe doubts that you’re my ally.” Obi-wan gripping his saber. “Why are you here, A’Sharad?”</p><p>                “To make an offer.” A’Sharad presented a datapad. It had an inventory list. He highlighted one item. “You find me the location and I’ll move permanently to the other side of the planet. In addition, I’ll stop warring with the Hutts.”</p><p>                That was tempting. Obi-wan still had some reservations. “The item isn’t some Hutt warhead?”</p><p>                “It doesn’t belong to some slug. Just find the location.” A’Sharad snapped and abruptly left.</p><p>                This wasn’t going to be easy. Obi-wan didn’t have the Jedi resources at his exposure. Though, he didn’t expect this item to be located on the holonet or any legal bazaar. Kolka Zteht had worked with the Hutts before. He hoped she might know something. She didn’t. However, she got him in contact with an information broker. “Wow, the official list,” the broker looked over the datapad. “I’m not going to ask how you got it.”</p><p>                “Do you know where the item is?” The information seemed to be coded.</p><p>                “Nope, it just says who brought her.”</p><p>                “Her?!”</p><p>                “You didn’t know? This is a slave manifest.” From Obi-wan shocked expression, the broker went on to explain, “TF28PD2LV4L50 looks like a common item number. TF actually means Twi’lek female. Lot number 28 and LV right here means Lady Valarian.”</p><p>                “Where is Lady Valarian at?”</p><p>                “Serious?! She owes a casino slash hotel in Mos Eisley called the Lucky Despot. Here is some free information since you’re new here. Lady Valarian is the third most powerful crime boss on Tatooine. They say she is ok except for her bloodthirsty temper. She killed her own husband with her bare hands. Tread carefully.”</p><p>                He traveled to the Tusken village to inform A’Sharad. He hadn’t yet reached the village, when A’Sharad rode out on his bantha to meet him. “Do you have the location?” There was hope and concern in the younger man’s voice.</p><p>                “Who is she?”</p><p>                “Jedi Knight Xiaan Amersu,” the details poured out of A’Sharad. “Our units were fighting on the same planet. When Order 66 happened, we defeated our captains and ran. We had nothing and no way of getting off the planet. The clone troopers were closing in on us. We were searching for a way to sneak onto a civilian transport. There were slavers exporting their captives onto a ship. The Republic just allowed them to continue their vile work. Xiaan saw them and got an idea. My face wasn’t on Republic records. Her face probably was. I could approach the slavers and … sell her to them for passage off world. They wouldn’t check her identity like the other transports. The plan was to free her once we arrived on Tatooine. The transport dropped me off and then it flew her somewhere else.”</p><p>                “You have been trying to find her all this time.” He silently confirmed it. Obi-wan understood why A’Sharad kept it a secret. “How long have you been in love with her?”</p><p>                “I think a month or two before the order was issued. You’re right to think that I’m not much of a Jedi.”</p><p>                “None of us are,” Obi-wan remembered Satine. “Let’s go save her.”</p><p>                Mos Eisley was the worst city in all of Tatooine. Obi-wan had to retrack his statement about Imperial troopers. They would indeed be an improvement here. As he walked about Mos Eisley, it felt like he was inside a dead carcass with a horde of womp rats.  Brawls started and ran like wildfire. Someone dies in a duel or an argument. A man tries to rob the corpse and another man kills him for the loot. A third man kills him and attempts to rob both corpses now. The cantinas are filled with pilot competing for work. There are no judges or courts here. They gave up the pretenses. The mayor of the city is an obvious crime boss. Crime is so abundant. Honest dealings are hidden in the shadows and the dark alleys. Obi-wan was glad that he listened to A’Sharad’s recommendation about keeping their mounts far away from the city. In five seconds, a thief tore apart someone’s else speeder bike. A visitor’s eopie had been slaughtered and cooked to sell. Obi-wan had to ward off four would be pickpockets during their journey to Lucky Despot.</p><p>                While the streets were lawless, each establishment had its’ own rules which had to be followed. A’Sharad had taken off his Tusken grab to blend in and enter Lucky Despot with Obi-wan. They walked up the long platform to the main entrance. Guards and security terminals were posted at the door. The top floor of the Lucky Despot was the casino lounge. There were live entertainers, booths, tables, jubilee wheels and lugjacks. Jabba the Hutt had been preventing Lady Valarian from getting gambling and liquor licenses. During Jabba forced time as part of the Shadow Collective, she was able to attain licenses for both her casinos. The bottom floor was the hotel part. A’Sharad and Obi-wan took a table near the front.</p><p>                They spotted Xiaan the moment that they arrived. She was on stage playing the mandoviol. She plucked the strings to the instrument superbly. Most of the audience’s attention was on the female singers and dancers. The female Togruta and the Rattataki were eye catching beauties. They were all clearly slaves. Lady Valarian favored shock collars for her slaves. It was easy to tell who she owned and who was hired.</p><p>                A’Sharad kept glancing at Xiaan as she performed on stage. He kept his voice low. “What’s the plan?”</p><p>                “We wait.” Anakin would have objected in this situation. A’Sharad calmly accepted and understood what Obi-wan meant. They needed more information.</p><p>                Most of the info that was gathered right away had been useless. The rumor spreading around was that the Empire was planning to ban podracing. Some of the Lucky Despot patrons believed that it was due to Imperial antialien sentiment. Others speculated if podracing were canceled, the Hutts would replace it with swoop racing. Obi-wan observed none of the guards ever used the gambling machines even when they were off duty. He figured it had been one of Lady Valarian’s rule. Lady Vlarian was a fierce looking Whiphid. Her favorite performers were her male and female Cathar dancers.</p><p>                Different musicians came to perform during the Cathars piece. Xiaan left the stage and went to Obi-wan and A’Sharad. “Kind sirs, would you please buy me a drink?”</p><p>                “Of course,” Obi-wan followed behind her. She picked a table in a corner between the industrial bender for mix drinks and a loud lugjack machine. It was very noisy. It would be a perfect spot for a private conversation. He pulled out a chair for her.</p><p>                Once they were seated, A’Sharad leaned forward, “are you alright?” She nodded her head slightly and smiled softly.</p><p>                “How long have you been here?” Obi-wan asked.</p><p>                “Going on two weeks. I was owned by Borvo the Hutt and his business partner Montrus before then. I worked at their cantina in Moenia.”</p><p>                “Moenia?” That sounded familiar to Obi-wan.</p><p>                “Yes, it’s a city on the planet Naboo.”</p><p>                “That can’t be possible?! Slavery isn’t allowed on Naboo.” Obi-wan couldn’t believe conditions had change so dramatically.</p><p>                “It’s complicated.” She related to them what had transpired.</p><p>               </p><p> </p><p>                <em>The slavers</em> had been bribed by Borvo the Hutt to keep an eye out for blue Twi’lek females. After A’Sharad sold Xiaan, the slavers didn’t take her to the Mos Espa Slave Auction block. Instead, he flew her to Naboo. Borvo brought her from them.</p><p>                “She is indeed blue,” there was a hint of disappoint in Borvo’s tone. “I wish she was a darker shade of blue.” He wanted her skin color to match his own.</p><p>                “She’s too flat and not enough curves.” His business partner Montrus examined her harshly. “Her talents better make up for it, or I’ll say that we ship her off to Nar Shaddaa.”</p><p>                Xiaan was a decent dancer, a terrible singer and gave an excellent massage. They decided to keep her as an indentured servant. At least, that was their cover story for all their slaves. The slaves were official servants with an eight-year term. Though once seven years hit, the slaves went either to Borvo’s palace on Nal Hutta or to the slave auction. Borvo had enough men to enforce it, and he had the mayor of Moenia’s backing.</p><p>                The mayor had his own evil schemes. Borvo held secret meetings in the backroom of his cantina with the mayor. Xiaan would be summoned to massage Borvo after the meetings. She overhead the mayor threatened, “you better make sure those refugees depart on schedule,” as he walked away. Naboo had taken on many refugees before and during the Clone Wars. Theed had problems handling the new additions. Moenia had it worst. It was such a small city compared to Theed. Refugees were proving to be a hardship for the city. Finding a suitable world for the refugees to settle on would take a long time. The mayor chose a quicker solution.</p><p>                “I hate being forced into this,” Borvo groaned as Xiaan massaged him. Borvo sold illegal weapons and spice. He tried to once sell illegal Verrmoks. They were too much of a hassle. He didn’t want to get involved in living cargo. The mayor threatened Borvo with jail time, if he didn’t act as his middleman in this operation. From the files and reports scattered on his desk, Xiaan could determine the truth. The refugees were going to be shipped off to planet to be sold as slaves.</p><p>                While Borvo didn’t want to be involved in the mayor’s affair, his human partner reviled in it. Montrus adored being a crime boss. His father and his grandfather had worked in the RSF all their lives. They expected Montrus to follow in their footsteps. The idea of living in a small house on the same street and mindlessly obeying orders sicken him. He wanted power and money. A slap on the back of praise once every five years wasn’t enough. He wanted more. He ran the cantina ruthlessly.</p><p>                There were five slaves that worked in the cantina. Xiaan and red Twi’lek female were dancers. A mon Calamari and Sullustan female were waitress. A female Ithorian ran the bar. A droid cooked the food. Most times, the cantina functioned smoothly except for rush hours. Usually for three hours almost every other day, large groups of Imperial pilots came to the cantina on their breaks. Two waitresses weren’t enough. Montrus was too cheap to get another one. Xiaan would stop dancing and help wait tables during rush hours.</p><p>                After Xiaan fourth day of waiting tables, the Mon Calamari girl, Pulpo accidently dropped a bottle of T’iil-T’iil. Pulpo quickly bent down to clean up the mess. Xiaan assisted her. Montrus was livid over the loss of credits. He fetched a stick to beat the girl. Xiaan immediately wrapped her body around Pulpo to protect her. “Be stupid. It doesn’t matter to me.” Montrus beat Xiaan until either she let go of Pulpo or the stick broke. The stick broke. “Clean it up quick and get back to work!”</p><p>                Neither the Imperial soldiers nor the Nabooian city guards objected to his ill-treatment of the girls. Most of the citizens diverted their eyes and pretend not to see except for one Gungan, Wert Jopi. “Mesa can sneak you out of here,” he whispered to Xiaan as she refilled his glass of Paonga Fresca. She could tell that he meant it. Wert seemed disappointed after she shook her head slightly.</p><p>                Wert was at the cantina to get funding for his toy line. He had a wooden opee opee toy, sniksnak plush, and a stuffed AT-TE plush. Borvo felt it might be a good investment. He let some of his slaves play with the toys. Montrus wasn’t as sure. “I don’t think there is much of a profit in it.”</p><p>                “Children love toys,” Xiaan gave back the opee toy to Wert. “Children are precious.” She handed him more than just a toy. Wert carefully slid a napkin into his pocket.</p><p>                “She’s right. Parents will pay many credits for their offspring pleasure.” Borvo agreed. He invested in the project. Montrus didn’t. Wert left and the cantina shifted ended for most of the slaves. A female Bothan took care of the morning shift. Borvo gave some ointment to Xiaan, “mother always told us to never share our potion with other. No point in protecting them. You’ll only suffer for it.”</p><p>                “Thank you, sir.” She took the ointment. “It’s still not fair if everyone doesn’t receive their fair share especially if they need it. I wouldn’t want to see them suffer.”</p><p>                Borvo bopped her nose, “you’re definitely my sweetie.”</p><p>                To Wert, she became his informant. A few days later, another Gungan came during rush hour. He sat at one of Xiaan’s tables. “My friend Wert says yousa like opee opee. They’re strong protective towards their children. Mesa would like to know what other fish are going to be cook now?”</p><p>                Xiaan knew what the Gungan meant. “Would like some Nyork chowder?”</p><p>                “Sounds yummy.”</p><p>                She hid the napkin with the waypoint for the refugees under his plate. She also concealed a smile, when the mayor visited in secret to complain about the missing shipments. Her masters were worried about the next shipment. Montrus forbid any Gungan from entering the cantina ever since they had interfered with their refugee scheme.  A ship was preparing to leave with a large group of refugees in three days. She was concerned about stopping it without a hidden message.</p><p>                Thankfully, a human male soon arrived at the cantina. “I would like some Nyork chowder.”</p><p>                “I’m sorry, sir. We’re out of it.” Xiaan informed him.</p><p>                “Pity, my friend Wert said it was yummy.”</p><p>                She grinned, “we have some fresh sushi that’s good. You should get it before it’s gone.”</p><p>                “I think I will then.” The human male was an undercover reporter for the Naboo Herald. The fiends were caught red-handed attempting to ship the refugees off to be sold as slaves.</p><p>                The mayor, Montrus and Borvo panicked about being implicated in it. Montrus attempted to go silent the captured men. The mayor had to deal with the backlash of his smear campaign against Gungans. The news report cleaned them from being pesty troublemaker to being called heroes. Now, the Gungans were marching to the mayor’s office for his formal apology.</p><p>                Wert returned to the cantina. He had a friend with him. “We’re getting yousa out of here in five minutes.”</p><p>                She went to get their drinks. Borvos was getting rid of all his slaves tonight. A ship was landing to take them to be sold off world, so nothing comes up against him in an investigation. Xiaan gave Pulpo her tray. “Give those men their drink,” Xiaan pointed to Wert, “and go with them.”</p><p>                Pulpo didn’t completely understand, but she trusted Xiaan. Wert and his friend read the napkin note. “Save her.” They rushed Pulpo out of the door. Borvo’s men pursed them. She vanished into a large crowd of Gungans. The men arrived back at the cantina empty handed.</p><p>                Borvo summoned Xiaan into his office that evening. She thought it was for one last massage. He told her to sit down. “You switch tables with Pulpo.”</p><p>                “She had too many customers.”</p><p>                “No,” Borvo called her out. “You knew those Gungans would save her. You worked with them to rescue the refugees. I should have you killed for that. However, I hated being under the mayor’s thumb and being Montrus’ partner. They’re both gone because of you. Pulpo is gone as well. Though, you could have been the one to escape. Anyway, do you play the mandovial?”</p><p>                “Yes, sir.”</p><p>                “Good, I’m selling you to Lady Valarian on Tatooine. She has a terrible temper, but she’s a better master than me or any of the others. Word of advice stop being sweet, my dear.” He patted her hand. “You’ll only suffer for it.”</p><p>               </p><p> </p><p>                “<em>Borvo is right so far,” </em>Xiaan admitted to A’Sharad and Obi-wan. “Lady Valarian hasn’t mistreated us or let anyone else mistreat us as far as I know. Her slaves are kept in small apartments nearby. We’re under heavy guard.”</p><p>                Obi-wan stroke his beard, “does Lady Valarian have any vices?”</p><p>                “She doesn’t gamble on any machines or play sabaac. She finds podracing boring. She does engage in something in a conference room. There is a group of people with her. They cheered and screamed loudly. It has only happened once last week. I wasn’t summoned for it. I don’t know exactly what it is.” Xiaan glanced at the Valarian guards. “Perhaps, you should come back later. I’ll hopefully have more information then. It’s not safe for you here.”</p><p>                “I’m not abandoning you to these vermin.” A’Sharad held her hand.</p><p>                A Valarian guard marched towards them. “No touching one of Lady Valarian’s girls.”</p><p>                “We apologize. We didn’t know the rule.” Obi-wan attempted to ease tensions. Neither the guard nor A’Sharad stopped glaring at each other.</p><p>                Especially when the guard grabbed her arm and yanked her up, “Come on Lady Tails. Time to perform.” He pulled her back to the stage.</p><p>                “Lady Tails,” Obi-wan repeated. He was happy that A’Sharad didn’t realize the name was an insult.</p><p>                A’Sharad was annoyed enough as it was. Yet, he took a deep breath and steadied himself. “How are we going to save her?”</p><p>                Life was easier with the Jedi Order. They could have paid for her release, the Republic could have pressured Lady Valarian, or they could have whipped out their lightsabers. The Republic was gone. Obi-wan had very little money. Order 66 made every Jedi a walking target. He couldn’t give up on her. “She’s right. We need more information.” He rose and went to the bartender. “Where do we go to rent a room for the night?”</p><p>                “Downstairs. The ‘Steel Gentleman’ handles the front desk.”</p><p>                The “Steel Gentleman” was a protocol droid. The rooms were more expensive than Obi-wan could afford. Surprisingly, A’Sharad could pay for it. Once inside, Obi-wan saw how she could charge so much for a room. Brand new Xeno furniture was in each room. The Xeno line had been exclusive and expensive Neimoidian export. Since they were on the losing side of the war, Lady Valarian probably got it all for cheap. This reminded him, “does Lady Valarian ever sell her slaves?”</p><p>                “Not in my seventy years of service had one ever been sold.”</p><p>                Obi-wan considered this in another way. “has she ever gifted or freed a slave before?”</p><p>                “Yes, she gifted slaves to her favorite gladiators.”</p><p>                Why did she have to like that? If she had favored some kind of racing, Obi-wan could have competed in it. He might be no Anakin in piloting. Most pilots weren’t nearly that skillful, so he could have won. He dismissed the droid and sat down at the desk in his room. He couldn’t use her greed against her at least not in that aspect. He stared at the lamp. She was still a businesswoman. Offer her enough credits, and she’ll accept the deal. He hoped this was true.</p><p>                That night, his dreams were scattered fragments. A memory of bickering with Satine during a rainstorm came first. She complained about how miserable it was and how lousy she felt. He accidently responded that she still looked beautiful. Satine smiled at him that same kind of smile which Anakin had at the mere thought of Padme. He remembered the day that Satine returned to Mandalore. Satine had been so formal to him as she made her goodbye. She didn’t look back as she walked away. He believed she had willing accepted her position as duchess. He didn’t realize that she had twisted her head slightly towards her shoulder just like Xiaan had while the guard dragged her away. Xiaan had reassigned herself to go. She didn’t want to leave A’Sharad. Satine didn’t want to go. She was waiting for … Obi-wan to call for her. Obi-wan felt like such the fool for not knowing. They were each waiting for the other to stop it. He should have called out to her. Of course, the dream ended with Maul killing her. It was the biggest mistake in his life. He should have saved her.</p><p>                There was nothing that he could have done for Satine. He would search for a way to save Xiaan. He inspected the Lucky Despot security in the morning. There was even more protection than he had originally thought. The gambling machines were watched like a hawk for its prey. A man had been caught cheating by his second game. Lady Valarian personally chopped off his hands. Obi-wan wished Anakin or Ahsoka were here. They would have come up with some crazy scheme. His best idea was to sneak Xiaan out in a furniture crate. It was one of the few things that was outsource. He still needed to get the carrier on board and get Xiaan’s shock collar off.</p><p>                Obi-wan drank an izzy-mold as he and A’Sharad watched the casino stage performance. “I can get the shock collar off her,” A’Sharad assured Obi-wan.</p><p>                “Did your master train you how to do that?”</p><p>                “My people taught me. We abhor slavery.” Obi-wan hadn’t considered that about the Tusken Raiders. He had believed A’Sharad had overly persuaded the Tusken to attack. In truth, this was something that they normally would do. Actually, Obi-wan had found A’Sharad to be calm and very reasonable except for a moment later. A’Sharad scowled. His voice turned cold, “Xiaan.”</p><p>                She was no where in sight. Obi-wan sensed that she was in danger. “Don’t,” he grabbed A’Sharad as he stood up. “We’ll only make matters worse.” Obi-wan noticed all the guards had snuck glances at them. Something bad was about to happen. Lady Valarian entered the casino with a large group of guards flanking her. She yanked a bruised and bloody Xiaan by her lekku.</p><p>                “No one messes with my slave.” Lady Valarian grimaced at A’Sharad. “No loving glances or mushy stuff,” unless of course, Lady Valarian gave permission.</p><p>                All the blasters were pointed at Obi-wan and A’Sharad. “We’ll buy her from you. We have two hundred and thirty truguts,” Obi-wan offered.</p><p>                “Not enough. People pay more for tailheads. I don’t see why,” Lady Valarian kicked Xiaan. A’Sharad was about to charge at her if Obi-wan hadn’t stopped him. His anger amused Lady Valarian. “You’re willing to fight for her?”</p><p>                A’Sharad didn’t hesitate, “I’ll defeat any of your challengers.”</p><p>                This pleased Lady Valarian greatly. “My gladiator could use the practice. If you win, you get the tailhead. If you lose, I get your money and your associate will become my slave. Do you accept?”</p><p>                “Yes.”</p><p>                “Good, you’ll face him tonight on the arena in the desert.”</p><p>                It was a small consolation that it wouldn’t be broadcasted all over the holonet. A’Sharad traveled out to the desert alone with some of Valarian’s men and her gladiator. Obi-wan and Xiaan were forced to remain behind at the casino. Lady Valarian and her guest watched the fight from the conference room. A guest handed Obi-wan a drink of Flameout before the match, “here. It will be your last free drink as a free man. Grunda Dolma has never lost a match.”</p><p>                Grunda was a Ualaq Aqualish. His weapon of choice was the lance, which he was deadly proficient with. A’Sharad had been given no choice of preferred weapon. They just gave him a lance too. Obi-wan could see as soon as the bell rung how fast Grunda was. Even with Jedi reflexes, it had been nearly impossible to evade him. Grunda knocked over A’Shard, “I’m a champion gladiator.” He thrusted his lance at A’Sharad.</p><p>                “I’ve killed krayt dragons,” A’Sharad stabbed him first.</p><p>                There was gasping inside the conference room. Most of them had betted on Grunda. They were upset by A’Sharad’s victory especially Lady Valarian. “That fiend won’t get away with this.” She was about to raise a commlink to order her men to dispoise of A’Sharad.</p><p>                Xiaan snatched her blaster and aimed it at Lady Valarian. “You gave your word.”</p><p>                All of Valarian’s men targeted Xiaan. Lady Valarian smirked, “You should always fight for your mate.” She let go of Xiaan, Obi-wan and A’Sharad.</p><p>                Obi-wan and Xiaan met up with A’Sharad three miles away from Mos Eisley. A’Sharad gave her a Tusken garb to wear. “You really want to stay here?” This surprised Obi-wan.</p><p>                She held A’Sharad’s hand and smiled up at him. “This is my home now. Though, if you ever need any help, Master Kenobi.”</p><p>                “Thank you,” Obi-wan noticed A’Sharad didn’t seem so pleased with the offer. A’Sharad kissed Xiaan and put on her Tusken mask.</p><p>                He asked to speak with Obi-wan alone for a moment. “Do you know about the Dark side user from Bestine?”</p><p>                “I defeated her.”</p><p>                “It’s not a her. He calls himself Maw. Hoar and several wandering Tusken have joined his side. Be careful. Hoar has sworn a blood oath to kill Anakin and his family. That includes you. May the Force be with you, Master Kenobi.” A’Sharad donned his mask.</p><p>                “May the Force be with you as well.” Obi-wan watched them ride off with their banthas.</p><p>                This dustbowl of planet was home to them now. Obi-wan thought about that, while he headed out to Anchorhead. He figured the temple was his only home. Then, he spotted Luke in the market. The toddler was starting to walk around. Obi-wan changed his point of view about Tatooine. It might also be his home.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>For more information, please go to https://aurora-light-blog.tumblr.com/</p></blockquote></div></div>
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